Realistic Fiction/Adventure
Adventure books marked with *
Firegirl by Tony Abbott
A middle school boy's life is changed when Jessica, a girl disfigured by burns, starts attending his Catholic school while receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from Brooklyn to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, to work as waitress and cook in the Welcome Stairways diner, they become involved with the diner owner's political campaign to oust the town's corrupt mayor.
The Penderwicks on Gardham Street by Jeanne Birdsall
The four Penderwick sisters are faced with the unimaginable prospect of their widowed father dating, and they hatch a plot to stop him.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight.
Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume
Faced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion, a twelve-year-old girl talks over her problems with her own private God.
Leap of Faith by Kimberly Bradley
Forced to attend a Catholic middle school because of her conduct, Abigail discovers a talent for theater and develops a true religious faith.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants) by Ann Brashares
Carmen decides to discard an old pair of jeans, but Tibby, Lena, and Bridget think they are great and decide that whoever the pants fit best will get them. When the jeans fit everyone perfectly, a sisterhood and a memorable summer begin.
3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares
Ama, Jo, and Polly, three close friends from Bethesda, Maryland, are looking forward to high school, but wonder if their relationship will survive the challenges that each girl faces over the summer break.
*Bearwalker by Joseph Bruchac
Although he is the littlest student in his class, thirteen-year-old Baron Braun calls upon the strength and wisdom of his Mohawk ancestors to face both man and beast when he tries to get help for his classmates, who are being terrorized during a school field trip in the Adirondacks.
* The Dark Pond by Joseph Bruchac
After he feels a mysterious pull drawing him toward a dark, shadowy pond in the woods, Armie looks to old Native American tales for guidance about the dangerous monster lurking in the water.
Hidden Roots by Joseph Bruchac
Although he is uncertain why his father is so angry and what secret his mother is keeping from him, eleven-year-old Sonny knows that he is different from his classmates in their small New York town
Beacon Street Girls series: Book One Worst Enemies/Best Friends by Annie Bryant
Charlotte, a new student at Abigail Adams Junior High, is sure she has ruined her chances for friendship after committing a big blunder in the cafeteria, but she and her assigned lunch partners, Katani, Maeve, and Avery manage to bond anyway--eventually realizing that everyone has embarrassing moments.
Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy (series)
After being expelled from yet another school in London, twelve-year-old Scarlett is sent by her exasperated mother to live with her father, stepmother, and stepsister in Ireland, where, with the help of a mysterious boy, she eventually overcomes her anger and resentment and feels part of a family again.
Notes from a Liar and Her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko
Eleven-year-old Ant, stuck in a family that she does not like, copes by pretending that her "real" parents are coming to rescue her, by loving her dog Pistachio, by volunteering at the zoo, and by bending the truth and telling lies.
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
Twelve-year-old Greg, who has always been good at moneymaking projects, is surprised to find himself teaming up with his lifelong rival, Maura, to create a series of comic books to sell at school.
*A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
The fifth grade's annual camping trip in the woods tests Mark's survival skills and his ability to relate to a teacher who seems out to get him.
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences of refusing to join in the school's annual fund raising drive and arousing the wrath of the school bullies.
Millions by Boyce Cottrell
The Cunningham brothers literally have money drop in their laps when a bag of cash falls from the sky; however, the crooks who initially stole the loot are hot on the trail to retrieve it.
Box Out by John Coy
High school sophomore Liam jeopardizes his new position on the varsity basketball team when he decides to take a stand against his coach who is leading prayers before games and enforcing teamwide participation.
Crackback by John Coy
Miles barely recalls when football was fun after being sidelined by a new coach, constantly criticized by his father, and pressured by his best friend to take performance-enhancing drugs.
Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech
Jack is studying poetry again in school, and he continues to write poems reflecting his understanding of famous works and how they relate to his life.
*Ruby Holler By Sharon Creech
Thirteen-year-old fraternal twins Dallas and Florida have grown up in a terrible orphanage but their lives change forever when an eccentric but sweet older couple invites them each on an adventure, beginning in an almost magical place called Ruby Holler.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.
*The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
Thirteen-year-old Sophie and her cousin Cody record their transatlantic crossing aboard the Wanderer, a forty-five foot sailboat, which, along with uncles and another cousin, is en route to visit their grandfather in England.
The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous by Suzanne Crowley
In the small town of Jumbo, Texas, thirteen-year-old Merilee, who has Asperger's Syndrome, tries to live a "very ordered existence," but disruptions begin when a boy and his father arrive in town and the youngster makes himself a part of the family.
P.S. Longer Letter Later by Ann Martin and Paula Danziger
Twelve-year-old best friends Elizabeth and Tara-Starr continue their friendship through letter-writing after Tara-Starr's family moves to another state.
Snail Mail, No More by Ann Martin and Paula Danziger
Best friends Elizabeth and Tara*Starr are still corresponding regularly - how, via e-mail. As they deal with big changes in their lives, their long- distance friendship is put to the test.
Trading Faces by Julia DeVillers
Seventh-grade twins Payton and Emma decide to shake things up at their new middle school by switching places and taking on each other's lives, and their antics teach them that no one is exactly who the world thinks they are.
Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne
Overweight thirteen-year-old Celeste begins a campaign to lose weight in order to make sure she does not win the Miss Huskey Peach modeling challenge, in which her mother and aunt have entered her--against her wishes.
The Kind of Friends We Used to be by Frances O’Roark Dowell
Twelve-year-olds Kate and Marylin, friends since preschool, draw further apart as Marylin becomes involved in student government and cheerleading, while Kate wants to play guitar and write songs, and both develop unlikely friendships with other girls and boys. (Sequel to The Secret Language of Girls)
The Secret Language of Girls by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Marylin and Kate have been friends since nursery school, but when Marylin becomes a middle school cheerleader and Kate begins to develop other interests, their relationship is put to the test.
Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
Portia and her cousin Julian discover adventure in a hidden colony of forgotten summer houses on the shores of a swampy lake.
*Overboard by Elizabeth Fama
Escaping from a sinking ferry in the waters off Sumatra, fourteen-year-old Emily fights for survival for herself and a young Indonesian boy, who draws courage from his quiet but firm Islamic faith.
*A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer
While fleeing from Mozambique to Zimbabwe to escape an unwanted marriage, Nhamo, an eleven-year-old Shona girl, struggles to escape drowning and starvation and in so doing comes close to the luminous world of the African spirits.
Beanball by Gene Fehler
Relates, from diverse points of view, events surrounding the critical injury of popular and talented high school athlete, Luke "Wizard" Wallace, when he is hit in the face by a fastball.
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Eleven-year-old Harriet keeps notes on her classmates and neighbors in a secret notebook, but when some of the students read the notebook, they seek revenge.
The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick
The mothers of four very different sixth-grade girls pressure them into forming a book club, and find, as they read the classic novel "Little Women," that they have more in common than they thought.
The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas
While regularly petitioning the Vatican to make her the first living saint, fifteen-year-old Antonia Labella prays to assorted patron saints for everything from help with preparing the family's fig trees for a Rhode Island winter to getting her first kiss from the right boy.
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Joey Pigza series) by Jack Gantos
To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription meds wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired.
*My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.
Baseball Great by Tim Green
All twelve-year-old Josh wants to do is play baseball but when his father, a minor league pitcher, signs him up for a youth championship team, Josh finds himself embroiled in a situation with potentially illegal consequences.
Football Champ by Tim Green
Twelve-year-old Troy's uncanny gift for predicting football plays proves a powerful secret weapon for the Atlanta Falcons, but a seedy reporter with a vendetta suspects something is going on and sets out to shred the reputations of Troy and star linebacker Seth Halloway.
Football Genius by Tim Green
Troy, a sixth-grader with an unusual gift for predicting football plays before they occur, attempts to use his ability to help his favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, but he must first prove himself to the coach and players.
Football Hero by Tim Green
When twelve-year-old Ty's brother Thane is recruited out of college to play for the New York Jets, their Uncle Gus uses Ty to get insider information for his gambling ring, landing Ty and Thane in trouble with the Mafia.
My Almost Epic Summer by Adele Griffin
Stuck babysitting during the summer while her friends take glamorous vacations, fourteen-year-old Irene learns some lessons about life after meeting a beautiful, yet troubled, girl.
Marley, A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan
A special adaptation of the author's book "Marley & Me" for young readers, in which he shares the story of his golden retriever Marley, and tells of the love his family has for the dog
Ida B: and her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan
In Wisconsin, fourth-grader Ida B spends happy hours being home-schooled and playing in her family's apple orchard, until her mother begins treatment for breast cancer and her parents must sell part of the orchard and send her to public school.
The Clique – series by Lisi Harrison
Wealthy Massie is determined to exclude middle class Claire, the daughter of her father's old friend, from her seventh-grade clique at a very exclusive private school in Westchester, New York, but after Massie steals her only friend, Claire strikes back.
Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
On a summer visit to her grandmother's cottage by the ocean, twelve-year-old Martha gains perspective on the death of a classmate, on her relationship with her grandmother, on her feelings for an older boy, and on her plans to be a writer.
*The Great Wide Sea by Madaline Herlong
Still mourning the death of their mother, three brothers go with their father on an extended sailing trip off the Florida Keys and have a harrowing adventure at sea.
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site.
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of this floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home.
Defiance by Valerie Hobbs
While vacationing in the country, eleven-year-old Toby, a cancer patient, learns some important lessons about living and dying from an elderly poet and her cow.
*Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs
Fifteen-year-old Victor Flores journeys north in a desperate attempt to cross the Arizona border and find work in the United States to support his family in central Mexico.
*Downriver by Will Hobbs
Jessie and the other rebellious teenage members of a wilderness survival school team abandon their adult leader and try to run the dangerous white water of the Grand Canyon.
*Far North by Will Hobbs
After the destruction of their float plane, sixteen-year-old Gabe and his Dene friend, Raymond, struggleto survive a winter in the wilderness of the Northwest Territories of Canada.
*Leaving Protection by Will Hobbs
Sixteen-year-old Robbie Daniels, happy to get a job aboard a troller fishing for king salmon off southeastern Alaska, finds himself in danger when he discovers that his mysterious captain is searching for long-buried Russian plaques that lay claim to Alaska and the Northwest.
*River Thunder by Will Hobbs
Despite some reservations, sixteen-year-old Jessie joins her companions from the previous year's adventure on the Colorado River for a legal rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.
Tracktown Summer by Elizabeth Holmes
Spending the summer with his father at a run-down house between a railroad track and a polluted section of a lake, twelve-year-old Jake gets involved with a fourteen-year-old neighbor who is hiding a secret within his home.
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horwath
Eleven-year-old Primrose, who lives in a small fishing village in British Columbia, recounts her experiences and all that she learns about human nature and the unpredictability of life in the months after her parents are lost at sea.
My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath
Twelve-year-old Jane, who lives at the beach in a run-down old house with her mother, two brothers, and sister, has an eventful summer accompanying her pastor on Bible deliveries, meeting former boyfriends of her mother's, and being coerced into babysitting for a family of ill-mannered children.
The Pepins and their Problems by Polly Horvath
The reader is invited to help solve the Pepin family's unusual problems, which include having a cow who creates lemonade rather than milk and having to cope with a competitive neighbor.
Deliver Us from Normal by Kate Klise
With a mother who buys Christmas cards in August and a younger brother who describes the Trinity as a toasted marshmallow on a graham cracker, life for eleven-year-old Charles Harrisong is anything but normal in Normal, Illinois.
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
Upon leaving an oppressive summer camp, twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane spearheads a campaign to preserve three unique towers her great-uncles have been building in their backyard for more than forty years.
The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg
Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade class in the Academic Bowl competition.
*Dive – series by Gordon Korman
Four adolescents interning as research divers for the summer find themselves searching for a centuries-old treasure and fending off killer sharks. Interweaves their story with that of Samuel Higgins, a boy who died in a shipwreck in the same waters in 1665.
Everest – series by Gordon Korman
Four climbers, winners of an American Junior Alpine Association contest, vie to become the youngest person ever to reach the peak of Mount Everest.
*Island – series by Gordon Korman
Six children try to survive on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean after a storm destroys their boat.
*Kidnapped – series by Gordon Korman
Aiden teams up with the FBI to track down his sister Meg who was kidnapped while they were walking home from school.
No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
Eighth-grade football hero Wallace Wallace is sentenced to detention attending rehearsals of the school play where, in spite of himself, he becomes wrapped up in the production and begins to suggest changes that improve not only the play but his life as well.
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Cap lives in isolation with his grandmother, a former hippie; but when she falls from a tree and breaks her hip, Cap is sent to a foster home where he has his first experience in a public school.
This Can’t Be Happening at MacDonald Hall (Bruno and Boots series) by Gordon Korman
Bruno and Boots are always in trouble. So the Headmaster, aka 'The Fish, ' separates them. Bruno must now room with the ghoulish Elmer Drimsdale. And boots is stuck with nerdy, preppy, paranoid George Wexford-Smyth III. This means war. Because Bruno and Boots are determined to get their old room, back, no matter what it takes.
Can You Get an F in Lunch? How I Survived Middle School (series) by Nancy Krulik
Jenny McAfee feels totally prepared to start sixth grade until her best friend Addie Wilson decides to hang out with The Pops--the coolest seventh graders in the school.
Chicks with Sticks (It’s A Purl Thing) by Elizabeth Lenhard
Four teenage girls from very different social cliques at their progressive Chicago high school become friends after forming a knitting club.
*The Killing Sea by Richard Lewis
In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Sumatra, two teenagers, American Sarah and Acehnese Ruslan, meet and continue together their arduous climb inland, where Ruslan hopes to find his father and Sarah seeks a doctor for her brother.
Do the Math: Secrets, Lies and Algebra by Wendy Lichtman
Tess has always loved math, and she uses mathematical concepts to help her understand things in her life, so she is dismayed to find out how much math--and life--can change in eighth grade.
Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Littman
Justine Silver, a teenaged middle child, questions her faith when her best friend, Mary Catherine McAllister gives up chocolate for Lent, but when her grandmother suffers a stroke, Jussy has to face her relationship with religion.
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with an young paraplegic.
Spelldown: The Big-Time Dreams of a Small-Town Word Whiz by Karon Luddy
In 1969, the town of Red Clover, South Carolina, led by an enthusiastic new Latin teacher, supports thirteen-year-old Karlene as she wins her school spelling bee and strives to qualify for the National Bee, despite family problems and a growing desire for romance.
The Big Field by Mike Lupica
When fourteen-year-old baseball player Hutch feels threatened by the arrival of a new teammate named Darryl, he tries to work through his insecurities about both Darryl and his remote and silent father, who was once a great ballplayer too.
Heat by Mike Lupica
Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.
Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica
Twelve-year-old Molly is surprised to learn from her dying mother that Josh Cameron, a star player with the Boston Celtics and media darling, is her father, and once she gets to know him, Molly comes to realize why her mom kept his identity a secret for so long.
Summer Ball by Mike Lupica
Sequel to: Travel team. Thirteen-year-old Danny must prove himself all over again for a disapproving coach and against new rivals at a summer basketball camp.
Travel Team by Mike Lupica
After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once led to national prominence--twelve-year-old Danny Walker forms his own team of cast-offs that might have a shot at victory.
Main Street Book 1: Welcome to Camden Falls series by Ann M. Martin
Sisters Flora and Ruby move to Camden Falls after the death of their parents to live with their grandmother who owns a sewing shop; and the girls find it easy to make friends and feel at home.
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass
Just before his thirteenth birthday, Jeremy Fink receives a keyless locked box--set aside by his father before his death five years earlier--that purportedly contains the meaning of life.
Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
Ally, Bree, and Jack meet at Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, to watch a total eclipse of the sun; but soon they begin to learn a great deal about themselves, each other, and the universe.
Ten Ways to Make My Sister Disappear by Norma Fox Mazer
Ten-year-old Sprig no longer gets along with her twelve-year-old sister, Dakota, but the two pull together during their father's extended business trip to Afghanistan, sharing concerns about his safety, an elderly neighbor's health, fights with their best friends, and boys.
Saffy's Angel and others in series by Hilary McKay
After learning that she was adopted, thirteen-year-old Saffron's relationship with her eccentric, artistic family changes, until they help her go back to Italy where she was born to find a special memento of her past.
Makeovers by Marcia part of series by Claudia Mills
At the beginning of eighth grade, all Marcia can think about is what nail polish to use, how to lose weight, and whether Alex will ask her to the dance, but after giving makeovers in a nursing home for a school project, she begins to appreciate the value of inner beauty.
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
When Michael is swept off his family's yacht, he washes up on a desert island, where he struggles to survive--until he finds he is not alone.
The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
Twelve-year-old Joan, worried that she will not have any friends when her family moves from Connecticut to California, bonds right away with Sarah, a girl who prefers to be called Fox, and the two spend a joyous summer playing outside, making up stories, and attending a writing class.
North by Donna Jo Napoli
The story of a boy on the run who heads for the Arctic.
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reylolds Naylor
During a student exchange program, seventh-graders Ivy June and Catherine share their lives, homes, and communities, and find that although their lifestyles are total opposites they have a lot in common,
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor
Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.
Agnes Parker - Keeping Cool in Middle School and others in series by Kathleen O’Dell
Agnes Parker tries to maintain her old persona and keep a low profile in middle school, but her best friend Prejean's problems, persistent harrassment from the eighth-grade boys, and a friendship with an interesting boy in her art class make it difficult.
Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park
Thirteen-year-old Phoebe recalls the death of her younger brother Mick in a bicycle accident, which might not have been fatal had he been wearing his helmet, and how she and her family reacted to the tragedy. Closes with an appeal to bikers to wear protective bicycle helmets.
The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson
When Angel's self-absorbed mother leaves her and her younger brother with their poor great-grandmother, the eleven-year-old girl worries not only about her mother and brother, her imprisoned father, the frail old woman, but also about a mysterious man who begins sharing with her the wonder of the stars.
*Brian’s Winter and others by Gary Paulsen
Companion book to: Hatchet and The river. Instead of being rescued from a plane crash, as in the author's book Hatchet, this story portrays what would have happened to Brian had he been forced to survive a winter in the wilderness with only his survival pack and Hatchet.
*Dogsong by Gary Paulsen
A fourteen-year-old Eskimo boy who feels assailed by the modernity of his life takes a 1400-mile journey by dog sled across ice, tundra, and mountains seeking his own "song" of himself.
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.
All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall
When thirteen-year-old Josh goes to stay with his father in Chicago for a few months, he discovers--to his horror--that his dad has become an Elvis impersonator.
Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Teenagers in a small town in the 1960s experience new thoughts and feelings, question their identities, connect, and disconnect as they search for the meaning of life and love.
*Rising Water by P.J. Peterson
Tracy, her brother, and the new animal care volunteer at the Jefferson Science Center travel by boat to feed a dog stranded by flooding, and end up having a full day of dangerous adventures, which give them new perspectives about themselves and about each other.
*The Young Man and the Sea by Rodman Philbrook
After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a hugh bluefin tuna.
The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John Ritter
The fate of a small California town rests on the outcome of one baseball game, and Tom Gallagher hopes to lead his team to victory with the secrets of the now disgraced player, Dante Del Gato.
Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
After the death of the beloved aunt who has raised her, twelve-year-old Summer and her uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living.
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
When Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.
Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan
After her overprotective grandmother has a stroke, eleven-year-old Maya, an orphan, leaves her extremely restricted life in California to stay with her mother's family on a remote Wyoming ranch, where she discovers a love of horses and encounters Artemisia, a wild mare that her mother once rode.
Grace Above All by Jane St. Anthony
When thirteen-year-old Grace, her mother, and four siblings go to her mother's childhood cabin by a lake over the summer, as usual Grace is in charge of all the kids while her mother does nothing, but after meeting some relatives Grace becomes a bit more understanding, and learns to stand up for herself.
Mudville by Kurtis Scallata
For twenty-two years, since a fateful baseball game against their rival town, it has rained in Moundville, so when the rain finally stops, twelve-year-old Roy, his friends, and foster brother Sturgis dare to face the curse and form a team.
4 Kids in 5E and One Crazy Year by Virginia Schwartz
Family, school, and life in general are seen through the writings of four fifth graders who have been taken out of an overcrowded New York City classroom and placed with a teacher who shows them how to write and how to believe in themselves.
Death Mountain by Sherry Shahan
While traveling to visit the mother she has not heard from in almost a year, Erin and another teenage girl become lost in the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains and must struggle for six days to survive.
Blue Jasmine by Kashmira Sheth
When twelve-year-old Seema moves to Iowa City with her parents and younger sister, she leaves friends and family behind in her native India but gradually begins to feel at home in her new country.
Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth
Growing up with her family in Mumbai, India, sixteen-year-old Jeeta disagrees with much of her mother's traditional advice about how to live her life and tries to be more modern and independent.
First Boy by Gary Schmidt
Dragged into the political turmoil of a presidential election year, fourteen-year-old Cooper Jewett, who runs a New Hampshire dairy farm since his grandfather's death, stands up for himself and makes it clear whose first boy he really is.
Trouble by Gary Schmidt
Fourteen-year-old Henry, wishing to honor his brother Franklin's dying wish, sets out to hike Maine's Mount Katahdin with his best friend and dog, but fate adds another companion--the Cambodian refugee accused of fatally injuring Franklin--and reveals troubles that predate the accident.
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
Seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood, stuck in Mrs. Baker's classroom during the 1967 school year while his classmates go to either Catechism or Hebrew school, learns much of value about the world in which he lives from the study of the plays of William Shakespeare.
*The Trap by John Smelcer
In alternating chapters, seventeen-year-old Johnny Least-Weasel, who is better known for brains than brawn, worries about his missing grandfather, and the grandfather, Albert Least-Weasel, struggles to survive, caught in his own steel trap in the Alaskan winter.
* Peak by Roland Smith
A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.
Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
When a twist of fate makes Jamie Sullivan his date at the homecoming dance, Landon Carter never dreamed they would fall in love, but as he comes to realize his true feelings for Jamie, he learns of a terrible secret that will take his love away from him forever.
Crash by Jerry Spinelli
Seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family.
Loser by Jerry Spinelli
Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Donald Zinkoff's optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
As Palmer comes of age, he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his town's annual Pigeon Day or find the courage to oppose it.
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
Mourning the loss of his mother, nine-year-old David forms an unlikely friendship with independent, quirky thirteen-year-old Primrose, as the two help each other deal with what is missing in their lives.
Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fischer Staples
A young Afghan girl, Najmah, befriends an American woman, Nusrat in Peshawar, Pakistan, after Najmah flees her native Afghanistan during the 2001 war; and together they begin a long journey to locate their missing loved ones after the war ends.
Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of A Tree by Lauren Tarshis
A quirky and utterly logical seventh-grade girl named Emma-Jean Lazarus discovers some interesting results when she gets involved in the messy everyday problems of her peers.
Emma Jean Lazerus Fell in Love by Lauren Tarshis
Seventh-grader Emma-Jean Lazarus uses her logical, scientific mind to navigate the mysteries of the upcoming Spring Fling, her friend Colleen's secret admirer, and other love-related dilemmas.
*Blind Mountain by Jane Thomas
Unsure of himself and annoyed at having to spend a day climbing a Montana mountain with his bossy father, twelve-year-old Sam must become the guide on their perilous journey down when his carelessness temporarily blinds his father.
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
Jake, a budding juvenile delinquent, is sent for home schooling to the arty and eccentric Applewhite family's Creative Academy, where he discovers talents and interests he never knew he had.
Listen! By Stephanie Tolan
During her solitary convalescence from a crippling accident, twelve-year-old Charley finds a wild dog, and the arduous process of training him leads her to explore her feelings about her mother's death two years earlier.
World Series (Odyssey Classic) and others in series by John R. Tunis
Roy Tucker and the rest of the Brooklyn Dodgers return to fight for and win the World Series. “They make a reader want to get everything that’s in that grand world of old baseball, and to get it a boy calls on tricks of intelligence he never knew he had.”—
Dicey’s Song and others in the Tillerman series by Cynthia Voight
Sequel to: Homecoming. Now that the four abandoned Tillerman children are settled in with their grandmother, Dicey finds that their new beginnings require love, trust, humor, and courage.
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
After spending her life with her mentally disabled mother and agoraphobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.
Standing for Socks by Elissa Weissman
At the end of fifth grade, Fara decides to wear mismatched socks as a statement of individuality, but once middle school starts and she wants to be known for her ideas rather than her clothing, she feels burdened by an image that she no longer wants.
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
Thirteen-year-old Koly enters into an ill-fated arranged marriage and must either suffer a destiny dictated by India's customs or find the courage to oppose tradition.
Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Comfort Snowberger is well acquainted with death since her family runs the funeral parlor in their small southern town, but even so the ten-year-old is unprepared for the series of heart-wrenching events that begins on the first day of Easter vacation with the sudden death of her beloved great-uncle Edisto.
Aurora County All-Stars Deborah Wiles
Twelve-year-old House Jackson, team captain and star pitcher of the Aurora County All-Stars, is finally ready to play again after being sidelined for a year with a broken elbow, but a standoff ensues when the team's big game is scheduled for the same day as Aurora County's two-hundredth anniversary pageant--an event directed by the very girl who caused Jackson's injury.
Adam Canfield of the Slash by Michael Winerip
While serving as co-editors of their school newspaper, middle-schoolers Adam and Jennifer uncover fraud and corruption in their school and in the city's government.
Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
When a new, white student nicknamed "The Jesus Boy" joins her sixth grade class in the winter of 1971, Frannie's growing friendship with him makes her start to see some things in a new light.
Millicent Min, Girl Genius (Sid Fleischman Humor Award) by Lisa Yee
In a series of journal entries, eleven-year-old child prodigy Millicent Min records her struggles to learn to play volleyball, tutor her enemy, deal with her grandmother's departure, and make friends over the course of a tumultuous summer.
Stanford Wong Flunks Big-time by Lisa Yee
After flunking sixth-grade English, basketball prodigy Stanford Wong must struggle to pass his summer-school class, keep his failure a secret from his friends, and satisy his academically demanding father.
So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee
In a series of letters to her absent father, twelve-year-old Emily Ebers deals with moving cross-country, her parents' divorce, a new friendship, and her first serious crush.
Book descriptions from Follett Titlewave
Students generally have free choice when selecting titles within a genre. Students should try to choose books at their individual reading level – not too difficult or too easy. The titles above are suggestions available in the school library. Content is generally appropriate for middle school students. Reading levels vary. The final decision regarding the appropriateness of a particular book for an individual student rests with the student, his/her parents and teacher
